Van Gogh Reborn!

Chapter 311:

311

The Final Showdown (16)

[Chocolatier, pointing the direction]

The Grand Art Tour, a festival for art lovers, has returned.

On the 11th, the Kassel Documenta and the Münster Sculpture Project opened, and tomorrow, Art Basel will be held in Switzerland.

On August 1st, the Venice Biennale will also open, making it possible to enjoy an art trip across Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.

But who can wait until August?

I, too, couldn’t contain my curiosity and visited Kassel, Germany.

The Kassel Documenta, which runs for 100 days and is also known as the ‘Museum of 100 Days’, started in 1955 with the aim of spreading modern art that had been suppressed by the Nazis.

The Nazis considered cubism, represented by Pablo Picasso, and fauvism, by Henri Matisse, as degenerate art and did not allow them to be shown to the Germans.

Professor Arnold Bode opened the Documenta to connect the Germans and art that had been severed by the Nazis, and the first edition naturally focused on cubism and fauvism.

Since then, the Kassel Documenta has continued to introduce new art to Germany.

It showcased pop art, minimalism, conceptual art, and other artworks that dominated the era.

It was an event-like act derived from the Latin word ‘documentum’, a compound of ‘docere (to teach)’ and ‘mens (intelligence)’.

The Kassel Documenta showed the public what the art world recognized as art, and also lectured them on what art was.

The artists who had despaired through two world wars wandered to find what art was, and the Kassel Documenta was at the forefront.

It is hard to deny that the Kassel Documenta gathered the discourse of the art world and suggested the direction for art to go.

“Sigh.”

Kim Ji-woo, who was writing the manuscript, let out a long breath.

She had to sort out her complicated feelings after visiting the Kassel Documenta and the Münster Sculpture Project for five days.

She was surprised by the unexpected number of visitors, but she was also shocked by the fact that the two events were not self-sustaining.

Kim Ji-woo read the result reports of the Documenta and the Sculpture Project that she had obtained from the organizing committee with a coffee cup in her hand.

The Kassel Documenta in 2025 had a deficit of 17.8 million euros, and the Münster Sculpture Project in 2020 had a deficit of 10.3 million euros.1)

It was not a one or two year thing.

Even with a budget of 50 million euros from the city of Kassel, the deficit was increasing every year.

“Are you stuck?”

Lee In-ho, a reporter sitting across from her, asked.

“I don’t know how to solve it.”

“Tell me. Talking might help you sort it out.”

Kim Ji-woo took a sip of coffee and opened her mouth.

“I wonder why they can’t stand on their own.”

“Art?”

“Yes. Culture like movies, dramas, games, they grow every year.”

“Maybe because they are popular culture? They have different directions.”

“Classical music has grown a lot.”

Lee In-ho nodded.

The classical music world was expanding greatly, centered on the Berlin Philharmonic and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

“I feel doubtful. The Kassel Documenta and the Münster Sculpture Project have the purpose of educating the public who don’t understand art. It’s like…”

Kim Ji-woo met Lee In-ho’s eyes and smiled awkwardly.

“It’s okay.”

“…They seem to think they are special. Themselves.”

“Hmm.”

“They sound reasonable. They want to narrow the gap between art and the public, and spread the philosophy based on humanities. But in the end, artists are also human. They are not special.”

Lee In-ho quietly listened to Kim Ji-woo so that she could sort out her thoughts.

“No. Let me correct that. Everyone is special, but one side enlightening the public seems like a very old-fashioned idea to me.”

“Yes.”

“Back then, the education level of the public was low. So that might have been possible, but not now. Rather, there are many people who know more about art than artists as a hobby.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Kim Ji-woo lifted her cup again.

“But to receive billions of won in budget from the taxes paid by the citizens, and to lose money while teaching them. How long will that be valid? That’s what I thought.”

Kim Ji-woo looked at Lee In-ho’s eyes.

“Ha ha ha. I’ll get in trouble if I write this.”

“It’s your opinion, Ji-woo.”

She knew she would be challenged if she wrote a critical article about the current art world.

She might even lose this job that she loved so much.

The fact that she had someone to confide in her frustration was a comfort to her.

Kim Ji-woo recalled what happened a few years ago.

“When I first met Hoon, he said he wanted to sell his paintings. He said that if someone wanted to buy them, it meant they were connected by the paintings.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know why, but I felt that he was someone who had something to do at that time. Usually, people would talk about what philosophy or thoughts they put into their paintings. They would want to explain how amazing they were.”

“Hoon wasn’t like that.”

“Yes. He thought about the viewers. Some people might call him a money-grubber, but I heard his words differently. He wanted to communicate through his paintings.”

“I felt the same way.”

The two smiled at each other.

Ji-woo continued his story.

“It was the same with the Dallida Square incident last year. And before that, the Whitney Biennale and the Arnuvo Competition. And this year’s Documenta and Sculpture Project. There were always crowds around Hoon’s works.”

“That’s right.”

“I think that’s because of Hoon’s attitude towards art. That’s what I think.”

“And that’s why money followed him.”

“Exactly.”

Ji-woo laughed.

“So. Now, it’s not about teaching what art is, or educating to make them understand. Artists should also try to reach out first.”

“I think they’re already working hard on that.”

“Yes. There are many artists who are trying hard, but the big events and critics don’t seem to care. It’s frustrating.”

“Wouldn’t you get in trouble if you wrote that?”

“Yes.”

Ji-woo laughed again.

“Thank you. I feel better.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“But are you okay with not doing your interviews?”

“What?”

“You came on assignment, but you’ve been with me all the time.”

“Uh… well.”

Ji-woo blinked.

“I was also sorting out my thoughts. Uh-ha! Ha-ha-ha!”

Inho laughed awkwardly.

He couldn’t tell the truth that he took a leave of absence to see Ji-woo’s exhibition of the Kassel Documenta and the Münster Sculpture Project.

He had been awkward for a while after mistaking the words to come home when he submitted the article to the Korean Art Association.

He couldn’t see her often after she moved to Paris, France, so he wanted to make time to be with her.

Ji-woo grinned.

“There will be a lot of work for the Grand Art Tour this time. When you’re done with your busy schedule, take a vacation and come to Paris.”

“Really?”

“We can sightsee. And date.”

Inho’s eyes widened.

“If you don’t want to, never mind.”

“No, no. Why would I?”

“Ah-ha-ha. You’re so flustered. You’re not a kid, why are you so surprised?”

Ji-woo moved his gaze to his laptop, and Inho, who had used up his annual leave, could only cool his burning stomach with cold coffee.

“I’m not going.”

Henri said he wasn’t going to the Swiss Art Basel.

Unbelievable.

“Really?”

“I’m not going.”

He was lying for sure.

He used to be bad at lying to others, and Michel would make nonsense about gambling addiction or something, but he grew up.

“Don’t lie. You’re going to let your guard down and go. I won’t fall for it if you go like last time.”

“Ha. Where do you get that confidence from?”

He sounded like he really wasn’t going, but where did he get that confidence from?

It made me feel bad to hear it from him.

“I get it.”

“Anything else?”

Maechan stuck his face out from under the table and asked.

Henri Marso looked at Maechan, who rested his chin on the table, and opened his mouth.

He didn’t act sharp to Maechan, whether he liked his painting or was being nice.

“World Art Forum.”

“Huh? Why are you going there?”

“Lecture.”

“Heh!”

Maeun-chan sprang up from his seat.

“What is that?”

“You don’t know GAF? Global Art Forum!”

He said GAF was short for Global Art Forum.

I shook my head and he sat down next to me to explain.

“It’s an event where big museum directors and scholars from places like the Whitney, Tate Modern, Hermitage, and National Gallery gather.”

“What do they do there?”

“They talk about important issues in the art world. What the problems are, what the solutions are, things like that. Your brother is so awesome!”

“Of course he is.”

Henry Marceau stroked Maeun-chan’s head with a proud expression.

Then he looked at me, but I had no idea what he wanted.

“Here.”

Henry took something out of his pocket and gave it to Maeun-chan.

“Chocolate?”

“Eat it.”

“…? Thank you.”

Maeun-chan broke the chocolate in half and gave me one piece, then stuffed the other in his mouth.

I didn’t want to ruin the mood of the smiling person who looked like a guardian and his pet.

“What are you going to talk about?”

I was curious what he would say in front of those great people.

“Are you curious?”

“Yes.”

“Then sell it.”

“What?”

“Passion.”

It was the concept art he drew while working on the movie .

He still hadn’t given up, which was really stubborn.

“I don’t want to.”

I turned my head, expecting a fight, but Maeun-chan stepped in.

“I’m curious too. I’ll give you mine, so please tell me. Okay?”

“I’m not interested in your drawings.”

He snapped.

He always said things that hurt people, even when he could be nice.

“How can you say that? No matter what. No matter what. That’s too harsh.”

I turned my head in surprise and saw Maeun-chan sobbing as if he was about to cry.

Henry seemed a bit flustered too.

“Don’t cry.”

“I can’t compare to your brother, but I work hard too. How can you…”

“Don’t cry, I said!”

“You told me not to give up, no matter how hard it was. You told me to love myself. How can you say that? I…”

“Damn it.”

Henry hesitated, then awkwardly raised his hand. He paused a few times, but eventually patted Maeun-chan’s shoulder.

This was a strange scene.

“I’m going to make a new history.”

“What history?”

“Get rid of those damn things and get serious.”

“Please tell me more. I’m not very smart.”

“…”

Maybe Henry had found his soulmate after Sherry, Michel, and Principal Nicolas Foussaint.

In 2017, the Kassel Documenta received a budget of 37 million euros from the city of Kassel, but incurred a deficit of 12 million euros due to reasons such as holding it in Athens.

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